Returned to Dogwood after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Dogwood failed — verticillium wilt causing branch dieback on susceptible species got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to formative pruning in the first five years to build a clear leader, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a wildlife garden with native species and exceptional seasonal spectacle from blossom through autumn colour is on full display. autumn colour and fruit or berry display this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.